Catalyst
by kou-tora
Summary: Everyone believes that death is the end. But when death is cheated, and you’re dragged from the land of the dead, what will you have to do to remain among the living? X27 XanxusTsuna
1. Catalyst

**Title: **Catalyst

**Rating**: PG-13 to eventual M

**Pairing**: X27, aka, XanxusTsuna

**Warnings**: Swearing, Violence, Character Death BL/Yaoi/etc.

**Summary**: Everyone believes death is the end. But when death is cheated, and you're dragged from the land of the dead, what will you have to do to remain among the living?

--

The end was signaled with the roar of flames and cheers of victory. The battle was over. They had once again overcome the odds, survived, and flourished. The Vongola still held their seat on top of the mafia hierarchy. All thanks to the Vongola Decimo.

This newest battle had been short and swift. Yet another rival mafia family had become jealous of the Vongola's ever increasing fame and fortune. They, like so many other rival mafia families before them, had underestimated the young Vongola Decimo and his equally young Guardians. However, like all the ones before them, Tsuna and his family beat the odds and overcame the challengers.

The results of their hard work could be seen below him. Tsuna hovered high in the air, supported by rich orange flames that poured from the palms of his hands. His crystal-orange eyes surveyed the battlefield. People were scattered about the grounds, some dead or unconscious, others standing and cheering in victory. Subordinates and Guardians alike stood and looked up at him from below, waving happily. Despite his dislike for violence, Tsuna was glad he was able to protect his family once again. From what Tsuna could see, there were no casualties on their side, and very few serious injuries.

Down on the ground, Gokudera rolled up his torn and dirtied sleeves, brushing off the bomb smoke and filth that clung to him. Smiling in satisfaction from a successful victory, he casually lit a fresh cigarette. Taking a slow deep breath, he nearly jumped when a hand suddenly clapped on his shoulder.

"Hahaha, that sure was quick." The overly cheerful voice of Yamamoto laughed a little too close for Gokudera's liking. Slapping Yamamoto's hand away, Gokudera took another slow drag of his cigarette to calm himself.

"Of course it was you moron. These guys were just third-rate thugs. Hardly worth our time." Gokudera cast a glare at Yamamoto, angry at how the swordsman somehow managed to come out of the battle dirt-free. If Gokudera hadn't seen the baseball maniac actually fight, he would've thought he never took place in the battle. Spitting out his half burned down cigarette, Gokudera turned his head upwards to watch Tsuna, who's brilliant orange flames were flowing over the sky.

"Jyuudaime!!" Gokudera called happily, waving enthusiastically up at his beloved boss. Tsuna, hearing his name, looked down, and smiled in return. He opened his mouth to return a greeting, but his voice stilled in his throat.

There was no sound, nor even the slightest hint or flicker that could've forewarned him. Red specks suddenly filled his vision. Blood, like a flower blooming, spread outwards from his chest. For a full second, the world froze and all went silent. Then, another second ticked by, and came a thunderous roar.

_**BANG**_

A third second ticked by, much slower then the other two. Like a candle being snuffed out, Tsuna's flames were gone. His body hovered for a millisecond, then he fell. Among the startled and frozen family below, Gokudera was the first to react. With a cry of agony, he sprinted forward, catching Tsuna's body before he hit the ground. Cradling his Boss's head with one hand, and pressing on the wound with his other, attempting to stem the blood flow, Gokudera called Tsuna's name like a chant.

But it was too late. Tsuna was already gone.

Yamamoto knelt next to Gokudera, and then calmly, yet shakily pried Gokudera's hands away from Tsuna's body from where they had been trying to revive the fallen teen. The rest of the family soon was crowded around, crying and looking on with horror. In less then a minute, they had lost their beloved boss, their sky.

Gokudera cried openly, but he couldn't seem to get his voice to work. It was bottled up deep within his throat. Yamamoto, also crying silently, placed a hand over Tsuna's face, and closed the dead glassed-over eyes.

Time stood still once again, as no one was ready to face the future. A future without Tsuna. They all stood around their fallen boss, silently clinging to each other and cried.

Well, almost everyone.

"VOII! Get the fuck outta my way you trash!!" A very loud and very familiar voice angrily called from the back of the crowd. Violently shoving people aside, Squalo pushed his way through the thick crowd of people, followed by the other members of the Varia.

"I said, get out of the way, _brat_!" Squalo snarled, literally picking up Gokudera by the back of his shirt and tossing him to the side.

"Squalo!" Yamamoto stood up, glaring at the disrespectful swordsman.

"What the fuck do you want!?" Gokudera snarled, also leaping up, ready to fight off the Varia who now stood around their fallen boss's body.

"Che, so this trash finally bit the bullet, huh?" Squalo snarled in distaste, standing over Tsuna's body and looking it over with a critical eye. He turned his back to Gokudera, clearing ignoring him.

"You _bastard_!" Gokudera screamed, rushing forward, but was blocked by Levi A Than, who held Gokudera back from approaching any closer.

"Squalo, why are you doing this?" Yamamoto spoke up this time, watching as the other members of the Varia proceeded to push back the crowd of subordinates away from Tsuna's body.

"Just making a little room." Squalo answered, as he kneeled next to Tsuna's body, examining the ugly bullet wound with detached interest. Gokudera rushed forward now, breaking away from Levi, but was held back by Yamamoto this time.

"For what?" Yamamoto asked, gripping onto Gokudera's arm, keeping him from attacking the Varia member before he could get his answer.

"For _me_." A deep voice answered from behind them. Xanxus now entered into the cleared circle, and swiftly walked forward to stand next in front of Tsuna's body. Squalo stood up, and the two exchanged a brief look before the swordsman stepped away to stand off to the side.

"Why the FUCK are _**you**_ here!?" Gokudera snarled angrily, just barely being restrained by Yamamoto.

"Because this piece of _trash_ here just had to go and get himself killed. And you see, that causes quite a few problems." Xanxus snapped back as he knelt next to Tsuna's body, and began to roll up he sleeves.

"But why are you _here!_?" Gokudera asked again, getting increasing frustrated with cryptic answers.

"Isn't it obvious? I'm here to fix it." Xanxus snarled in annoyance, hating to explain himself. Before Gokudera could scream at him again, Xanxus held up his right hand. An intricate ring could be seen on his middle finger, with a deep red ruby imbedded in the center. Suddenly flames surrounded the ring, then quickly his whole hand. The flames pulsed and flashed angrily, but Xanxus held his hand still, and slowly the flames intensified in power. He built up the flames for several moments, to the point where the center was bright white with intense heat. Then, he pushed his hand forward and slammed the flames down onto Tsuna's chest. The flames hissed angrily and the blast of power exploded, knocking everyone several steps back. Then, the dust settled and the flames dimmed. Xanxus was silent, staring intently down at Tsuna, where he still had his hand pressed against his chest. Then, after a quiet pause, Tsuna's body suddenly convulsed and lurched upwards. Tsuna opens his mouth and takes a deep and ragged breath, gasping for air. His eyes snapped open, revealing rich crystal-orange eyes.

"Welcome back to the land of the living, _brat." _Xanxus smirked, still holding the boy down. Tsuna's eyes just blinked slowly, focusing just briefly on Xanxus's face, before slumping back down on the ground. His eyes slowly rolled closed once more, but this time from exhaustion, then from death.

Standing up, Xanxus brushed his hands together, signaling his job was done. Giving a nod to Squalo, Xanxus swiftly turned around and started to walk away. Gokudera, breaking free from Yamamoto's grip, rushed to Tsuna's side. He hastily pressed his hands against Tsuna's neck, feeling the faint but steady pulse beneath the warm skin. He then looked at the wound on his chest. Tsuna's bloodied shirt had been burned off from the intense flames, but all that remained of the bullet hole was a star-shaped burn surrounded by red scar tissue. The wound had completely closed up.

Unable to even absorb what he was seeing, Gokudera scrambled to his feet once more and dashed after Xanxus who was walking across the grounds.

"How…wha….What did you--?" Gokudera stumbled over his words, unable to even form a proper question.

Xanxus paused for a moment, the turned to smirk at Gokudera with his famous 'I-hold-all-the-cards.' type of smile.

"Just paying a little debt." Was all he said, before walking away.

--

So, I'm probably going to get shot for not working on Ashes to Flames, but this new little piece has been rolling around in my head forever, and just screamed to be written.

And NO, this is not the end.

This little fic is something I thought of one day, while contemplating Xanxus's personality. I decided to experiment a little, and try to develop Tsuna's and Xanxus's relationship a little differently. Unlike my other fics, this one will be a lot darker. Xanxus himself will be more like his younger self in the manga (angry, scheming, always looking for ways to manipulate things to work for him etc.), while Tsuna will be more mature (along with other things, but I don't want to spoil it…)

Good news is, that this fic will be fairly short. Not entirely sure how many chapters exactly, but significantly shorter then Ashes to Flames. I'm still working on the plot, but I've got the general idea of what's going to happen ;)

So…yeah. **-**scurries away before she's beaten with a blunt object**-**

Reviews are food for my writing spirit! Feed it!!

-Kou Tora

P.S. If you didn't know, I have a DeviantArt account now! You can see some of my fics posted there, and some of my (crappy) sketches. Feel free to visit me! :3 kou-tora.deviantart .com (remove the spaces) The link can also be found in my profile.


	2. After Effect

**Chapter 2 - After Effect**

Tsuna felt as if he was floating and falling at the same time. He couldn't breathe, couldn't see, nor speak. He body was burning up and freezing within, the tips of his fingers tingling and then slowly going numb. Panic slowly swelled within his chest. He tried to struggle, tried to break free and run away, but his body refused to respond. Then his feet found the ground.

The air suddenly cleared and everything became crystal clear. Stumbling as his feet landed on the hard ground, Tsuna opened his eyes and took a startled breath. Looking around in confusion, Tsuna found himself standing at a deserted train station. A few benches sat on the wooden platform that was set next to the tracks that stretched off into the horizon. Surrounding the train station were endless fields of tall grass. A small beaten path cut itself through the grass, leading away from the train station. Tsuna cautiously looked around, curious as to how he got there. His mind felt fuzzy and lethargic, as if he just woke up. Finding little interest in waiting for a train that may or may not come, Tsuna decided to follow the path. Maybe he'd find something there that would tell him where he was. Stepping down from the platform, Tsuna stepped towards the tall grass when a voice called from behind him.

"I wouldn't go that way if I were you."

Turning around abruptly, Tsuna was surprised to find none other then Rokudo Mukuro sitting at one of the benches. His head was leaned backwards, looking up at the blue sky. He then slowly rolled his head towards Tsuna's direction, and his mismatched eyes glittered in the sun, staring directly at Tsuna.

"You never know where it may lead." He continued, motioning with his hand that he was referring to the path. Tsuna took one last glance at the path, before climbing the steps up to the platform again. Standing awkwardly there, he looked around his surrounding again, then back at Mukuro.

"I must say though, I'm surprised to find _you_ here, Tsunayoshi-kun. Or, at least to find you here so soon." Mukuro chuckled, and stretched his long legs outwards, making himself comfortable on the bench.

"And where is here?" Tsuna finally spoke. He found using his voice difficult. Like he hadn't used it in years. Mukuro hummed to himself and turned his eyes back upwards, staring lazily at the sky above. He seemed to ponder the question, finding the right words.

"_Here_ is a place between there and _there_." Mukuro motioned with his fingers, pointing at both directions at which the tracks lead. He spoke of the last direction with more force, adding his personal distaste of speaking of it. "We're at a junction, to put it simply." He continued. "Everyone comes here, eventually. Everyone comes from there, and then goes _there_. " He points once again off into the distance.

Tsuna seemed to contemplate this for a moment, but before he could voice his next question, he was interrupted by the sound of a train whistle, far off in the distance.

"Ah, right on time, as usual." Mukuro turns a disinterested eye towards the sound of the coming train. He then looks at Tsuna, and gives him a knowing smirk.

"However, it seems that you will not be getting on this train. Not yet, at least."

Suddenly chains appeared from out of nowhere, and lashed themselves around Tsuna's wrists and ankles. They dug into his skin and pulled. Tsuna struggled, and attempted to break free, but he suddenly felt weak. His voice refused to work, and pain spiked through his limbs.

"They hurt, don't they?" Mukuro smiled sadly at Tsuna, watching the teen struggle, but made no move to help him. Tsuna looked at him in confusion. "They're painful. The chains that bind us to life."

The chains suddenly yanked upwards, and pulled Tsuna with them. Darkness once again enveloped around him. Then, as if he had been struck by lightning, Tsuna found his whole body tingling with energy. He had the sudden sensation of colliding with the ground. And then another shock of energy and he could suddenly _feel _everything. He could feel the ground against his back, and a stronger force pressing against his chest. He could feel the cool air against his skin, with the addition of the burning power of flames spreading outwards over him. Cracking his eyes open, Tsuna was greeted with the blurry vision of someone hovering over him, silhouetted by the sun over him. Twin crimson eyes was all he could make out.

"Welcome back to the land of the living, _brat_." A rough and deep voice spoke to him.

And then he felt himself slipping back into the darkness once more. The energy that had once been burning within him, slowed down to a trickle, and just pulsed steadily. Despite his attempts to stay awake, Tsuna found himself exhausted, and he allowed to darkness to take him over once more. But this time he neither fell nor floated. He just slept.

--

Gokudera shifted in his seat, irritably tapping his foot restlessly as he watched over the sleeping figure. He hated sitting and waiting. He hated not being able to do anything. But most of all, he hated being _useless_. He glanced over to the sleeping figure of Tsuna, who lay completely still on the bed. With the exception of the slight inhale-exhale movement of his chest, showing that he was indeed still alive, Gokudera would have never believed what he saw take place.

Grumbling to himself, he pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling a headache coming on. That gruesome and nightmarish scene repeatedly played within his mind over and over again. The blood bursting from Tsuna's chest. The gunshot bang that soon followed afterwards. The cold stillness of his boss's body when he caught him. It just happened so quickly, he could barely process what had happened.

Then…those _bastards _came. The moment the Varia showed up, Gokudera knew something was wrong. Their expressions of disinterest and lack of surprise was highly suspicious. And then _Xanxus_….

Gokudera slammed his fist against the wood of the table next to him angrily. He didn't know if he should hate or be grateful of Xanxus. Yes, he somehow brought Tsuna back to life. That much was clear. Though _how_ he did it, Gokudera still couldn't begin to fathom of how that came about. But what really set Gokudera's nerves on edge, was that _look_ that Xanxus gave him. It was that same look, all those years ago, during the Ring Battles. That look he used when he's plotting something, and he's just moving the pieces according to his will. That bastard was planning something, that much Gokudera knew.

Gokudera was startled out of his brooding by the door slowly opening. Yamamoto stepped into the room quietly, and closed the door behind him. Gokudera stood hastily, but Yamamoto motioned for him to sit back down. Yamamoto took a worried glance at Tsuna, before sitting down in a chair on the other side of the room. He looked ragged and worn-out.

"Any change?" He asked slowly, quietly. Gokudera just shook his head.

"Nothing. He's still asleep, but he hasn't stirred a bit the entire time. The doctors said physically he was in perfect shape, but mentally….well….who knows." Gokudera paused, collecting his shaken thoughts. He seemed hesitant to even think about it. "He was gone, Yamamoto. _**Dead**_. But now…he's back. Just like that. I don't….I just don't know what to think anymore." Gokudera openly admitted, sighing heavily. He laced his fingers together, gripping them, trying to keep them from shaking.

Yamamoto just watched Tsuna silently, giving Gokudera a moment to collect himself. He knew this was hard. It was hard on all of them. So close…they had been so close to losing Tsuna. _That_ future almost came true. But now….he wasn't sure what to believe. Would things simply go back to being like they were before? No, Yamamoto may be simple at times, but even he knew things wouldn't quite be the same….at least not for a while.

"I got what you asked for." Yamamoto finally spoke up. He dug through his coat pocket to pull out a package of cigarettes. He tossed them to Gokudera, who caught it gracefully with one hand. "You really shouldn't start smoking them again after all this time, but I figured you could probably use one right now." Yamamoto smiled weakly, as he watched Gokudera hastily tear open the package.

Taking a deep breath of the poisonous smoke, Gokudera sighed deeply and visibly relaxed in his chair. Leaning back, he exhaled the smoke above him, before looking over at Yamamoto.

"So, what did you find out?" Gokudera asked, finally getting down to business. Yamamoto just shook his head slowly in defeat.

"Nothing useful. We sent out scouts to check the woods in a two mile radius, but nothing so far. We know the general direction of where the shot came from, but at that angle, we haven't got a clue where the shot could've originated from. And _who _could've made the shot is another mystery all together." Yamamoto sighed, looking out of the window. Gokudera just swore under his breath.

"But we did find _it_." Yamamoto concluded, reaching into the inside pocket of his jacket. Gokudera visibly stiffened. He watched as Yamamoto pulled out a small jar, its contents clinking against the glass as it rolled around inside.

"It's completely unmarked, probably custom made." He said as he tossed the jar over to Gokudera. "It also looks like it's coated in some sort of strange substance. I figured you'd want to take a look at it before we sent it off to analysis." Yamamoto explained, as he watched Gokudera look at the jar with disgust.

Gokudera rolled the jar between his fingers, looking at the oddly shaped bullet that was encased inside. He noted the odd looking surface of the bullet, and the lack of markings which were usually on bullets to identify their size and type. But what stood out the most, was the dark red tint of dried blood that clung to the bullet's surface. Blood that belonged to the teen that lay sleeping just a few feet away from him. Suddenly feeling ill, Gokudera tossed the jar back to Yamamoto, sick of looking at the tiny object that almost destroyed all of their lives.

Pinching the bridge of his nose again in frustration, Gokudera continued on, taking another long inhale of his cigarette.

"Who did you get a hold of?" He asked. Yamamoto sighed, and put the jar back into his pocket.

"Ryohei is on his way back as we speak. He'll be here in the morning. Hibari didn't want to talk to me, as usual, but I left a message with Kusakabe-san, so I'm sure he'll show up eventually. And Mukuro is MIA. I put an alert out, so if anyone should come in contact with either him or Chrome, they'll give them the order to return home." Yamamoto explained, folding his hands together. Even though it had only been a few hours since the attack, it felt as if it had been weeks.

"What about his mother?" Gokudera asked, glancing at the still sleeping Tsuna who hadn't stirred the entire time.

"I contacted Basil-kun. He is in Japan currently, and said he'd inform Lambo, Futa and everyone else there of the situation. He also added that he'd…soften the story so that Mrs. Sawada would easily understand, yet not be confused or mislead by what really happened." Yamamoto concluded.

"Ah." Was all Gokudera said. AKA, Basil would lie and probably say that Tsuna hit his head or something simple like that. No need to worry the woman further.

Suddenly the door swung open, and Reborn stepped inside. Gokudera and Yamamoto stood up in surprise. The Archebelano hadn't been here when the attack took place. He must have just arrived. Clearing his throat, Reborn nodded slightly to the Storm and Rain Guardians.

"Gokudera, Yamamoto. You look tired, why don't you go rest. I'll take over watching him." Reborn said, walking slowly into the room.

"I'm…I'm ok, Reborn-san. I'd like to be here when the 10th wakes up." Gokudera stuttered slightly, grinding his burnt out cigarette into an ash-tray.

"No, I'd like some time with Tsuna alone, if you please." Reborn said more forcefully, but showing his appreciation for their hard work. Yamamoto nodded at Gokudera, and made his way towards the door. Gokudera just took one last glance at Tsuna, before hesitantly leaving the room.

Reborn made his way around the bed, and sat himself in the chair that sat directly next to it. He watched his student for a moment, before turning his attention towards the door that opened. In stepped Xanxus. He promptly closed the door behind him and clicked the lock shut. Walking up towards the bed, he stopped at the foot. Crossing his arms over his chest, he watched the sleeping Tsuna with a mixture of irritation and disinterest.

"Are you going to wake him now?" Reborn asked, settling himself in the chair and folding his arms together in his customary pose.

"I suppose. The sooner the brat faces reality, the better." Xanxus clicked his tongue in annoyance. "But you're doing the explaining. I can't deal with idiots who don't listen." Xanxus said firmly.

"I'll help calm him, but you're going to explain the rest." Reborn said, giving his voice a tone that showed the topic wasn't up for negotiation.

"Che. _Fine_." Xanxus huffed in annoyance. Holding up his hand, he watched the ring on his finger glow momentarily, before a tiny flame ignited on the ring. His eyes flicked upwards towards Tsuna, watching for a reaction.

It didn't take long. Almost immediately Tsuna's eyes fluttered, and he stirred sluggishly. Groaning slightly, Tsuna's eyes opened before closing once again.

"Baka-Tsuna. Wake up!" Reborn yelled in annoyance, immediately noticing Tsuna's habit of wanting to slip back into sleep.

"Five more minutes Reborn." Tsuna mumbled, his sleep-heavy mind not quite catching up with his current situation.

"Sorry princess, but you don't have five minutes. I suggest you get up now before I set your sheets on fire." Xanxus barked a threat, half hoping the brat wouldn't listen just so he could set it on fire.

This apparently got Tsuna's attention, because he immediately shot up, looking around the room frantically.

"Wha-Xanxus!?" Tsuna asked, surprised and slightly alarmed.

"Look who decided to join the living." Xanxus smirked, folding his arms over his chest once more. Originally he hated the idea of dealing with the Vongola brat in any way, but the look of surprise and slight fear in the boy's eyes made him rethink that opinion. He was going to _enjoy_ this.

--

So, wow. I was surprised just how popular this story was. Considering how short and not really all that exiting the previous chapter was (in my mind, it was more like a prologue), I was shocked by how many reviews I got!

-_quickly runs and hides behind a barricade_- I'm sorry this chapter doesn't really explain anything at all! (and the fact that I wrote this so quickly, but I still haven't updates Ashes to Flames…). It was surprisingly easy to write. I wrote this chapter in one sitting, about 3 hours total. I was going to write a little more, but I decided to end it here for several reasons. One, I want to switch the Tsuna's POV, and I figured it would be easier if I just do that at the beginning of a new chapter. The 2nd reason was…well…I was kind of stupid and went exploring around 4Chan…. My brain then proceeded to explode and melt out of my ears. (Stupid, I know). Here's some advice for you all, never go exploring 4Chan at 3am if you want to keep your intelligence intact.

Anyway!** Review Response time**!!

-Lunara-Dono- OMG…you have PEOPLE! D8 runs and hides

-KoOri no HouKou - Haha, please don't bite me! I prefer Reviews to the Extreme! And Thank you!

-Ila Way - Writing about Tsuna dying was a very painful and heart-wrenching thing to do. And it doesn't help that this theme will continue all throughout the fic. But don't worry, Xanxus is there to (sorta) make it all better!

-Death2Afangirl - Haha, thank you! Yes, it's sad how few X27 fics there are. But I'm doing my best to convert and feed the fandom! 8D Thank you!

And as always, thank you to everyone else who reviewed! I love them all!

The next chapter will explain (almost) everything! The plot REALLY gets rolling in the next chapter.

Wish me luck with writing it!

I'm off to sleep now. It's like 4am, and my grammar is quickly going down hill….

As always, Reviews are awesome to the Extreme!

-Kou Tora


	3. The Living Dead

Within the depths of sleep, Tsuna felt a sudden pulse run through him, stirring his tired mind. It started as a slow throb, but then grew in intensity the more Tsuna tried to ignore it. Tsuna shifted, feeling smooth sheets and the plush of a mattress below him, as the strange pulse urged his body to move. Tsuna's eyes briefly slid open, but his mind was in such a haze that not much registered, and he simply closed them again. The comfort of the bed was too tempting, and Tsuna ignored the foreign feeling, deciding to simply sleep it off.

"Baka-Tsuna! Wake up!" Reborn's voice called in reprimand somewhere next to Tsuna.

So Reborn was in his room again. Even after all these years, the hitman still enjoyed being Tsuna's personal alarm clock. A very painful alarm clock. However today Tsuna's mind simply couldn't get motivated. "Five more minutes Reborn." Tsuna mumbled out, uncaring what the Arcobaleno may do to him for punishment.

"Sorry princess, but you don't have five minutes. I suggest you get up now before I set your sheets on fire."

That…..was not Reborn's voice.

Suddenly feeling very awake, Tsuna shot up, and was surprised to find none other then Xanxus standing there at the end of his bed, looking rather pissed as usual.

"Wha-! Xanxus!?" Having Reborn in his room was an everyday occurrence, but having the Varia leader there was definitely not normal. Tsuna wondered if he was still dreaming, or should be fleeing for his life. Reborn was bad enough, but if Xanxus suddenly decided to start torturing him in the mornings, then Tsuna was going to start dead bolting his door.

Xanxus's expression morphed into somewhat of an amused smirk. "Look who decided to join the living." He chuckled, staring down at Tsuna with intense crimson eyes.

"Reborn! What's going on!?" Tsuna asked in mild panic. Taking a quick glance outside, he noticed the sun was just starting to set, and a warm evening glow spread out over the horizon. It was nearly night. Why was he in bed then?

The Arcobaleno studied his student for a moment, before lightly touching the brim of his hat and leaning forward. "Tsuna, what is the last thing you remember?" He asked.

Tsuna, caught of guard by the question, searched his mind for his most recent memories. The recent battle was fresh in his mind.

"We were fighting the Lucertola(1) family. They attacked the mansion, but were hardly a threat. Only a few even had any box weapons." Tsuna began, staring out of the window, his eyes unfocused as he replayed in his mind what he could remember. He remembered flying high above the battle field, surveying their victory, feeling proud of his family.

"And?" Reborn pressed.

"And…" Tsuna began, but then realized…his mind went blank. Just darkness. "And then….nothing. I can't remember anything else after that." Tsuna trailed off. How could he not remember?

The wind rustling the grass outside of the window stirred a small memory within Tsuna's mind. A faint nostalgic feeling._ 'I remember dreaming. Dreaming of…Mukuro. And there was an endless field of grass. And a…train?'_ Tsuna shook his head, frustrated at all the confusing and jumbled thoughts.

Xanxus shifting on his feet impatiently drew Tsuna's attention. He caught site of Xanxus's X-Guns strapped on his hip. '_Blood. Pain. Noise. Darkness._'

Tsuna remembered.

Eyes widening in panic, Tsuna grabbed the collar of the tank top he was wearing and pulled it down, revealing a star-shaped scar in the center of his chest. The skin felt sore and tender, but it had the appearance of a healing wound. Tsuna looks up at Reborn, confusion written all over his face.

"I was shot."

Reborn just nodded slowly.

Tsuna rubbed the wound, trying to figure everything out. "But…it went…straight through….How could I…?" '_Survive_' Tsuna left the last word hanging, unable to voice it.

"You didn't." Reborn's blunt reply came down on Tsuna like a bucket of cold water. He suddenly found himself unable to breath. Even think.

'_I died. I died. I died._' Tsuna repeated the phrase in his mind like a mantra, unable to get past that simple fact. Suddenly, he realized his conversation with Mukuro was more then just a dream. He had almost passed on. Tsuna felt like he was going to be sick.

"Tsuna, calm down." Reborn tried to reason with his student, sensing the boy was about start hyperventilating.

"Calm down? CALM DOWN!? Reborn! I DIED! I was shot and I didn't LIVE. How can I still be here? No one survives that kind of wound!" Tsuna screamed, unable to remain calm any longer. Being on the brink of death and then living to remember it clearly had a negative effect on Tsuna. It shook him to his very core and left him feeling cold. "I was there! I was THERE! I almost LEFT!" He continued yelling, on the verge of a mental panic attack.

Xanxus however had had enough of Tsuna's whining.

"SHUT UP!"

His voice boomed above Tsuna's panicking one, startling the spastic mafia boss. However that brief moment of his temper loosing control caused Xanxus to inadvertently flare the flame on his ring in irritation.

A painful jolt of energy shot through Tsuna as he felt his heart rate increase dramatically. His head throbbed painfully and he could only gasp and curl into himself as it felt like his body was being torn apart from the inside. With one hand clawing at his shirt near his chest and the other clutching the sheets in a vice-grip, Tsuna wondered if he was dying for a second time.

"Xanxus!" Reborn snapped, sending a scathing glare at the Varia Leader for loosing his temper.

"Shit." Xanxus cursed. Taking a long breath and calming himself down, he eased the flame on his ring back down to a small flicker.

Feeling the pain recede and his heart rate slowly returning to normal, Tsuna looked up at Reborn and Xanxus, panting as he tried to catch his breath. "What….was that?"

Reborn gave Xanxus a long hard look before turning back to Tsuna, giving the mafia boss a moment to regain his breath. Despite it being an unnecessary "reaction" as a result of Xanxus loosing control, the "reaction" did serve to calm Tsuna down. Reborn only found it slightly ironic.

"Tsuna, I want you to try and ignite a dying will flame with your Sky ring." Reborn asked, motioning to the ring that had been previously placed by the nightstand next to Tsuna's bed. "Don't ask, just do it." Reborn said again, when Tsuna looked ready to argue.

Irritated by Reborn's lack of explanation, Tsuna picked up the ring from the nightstand, and held it in his palm for a moment, feeling the familiar weight. Slipping it onto his middle finger, Tsuna took a calming breath, before going through the familiar mental motions of bringing out his dying will.

He was not however prepared for the violent backlash. An unexpected hot pain shot through his fingers and Tsuna cursed at it felt like needles were stabbing him. Startled, Tsuna ripped off the ring and tossed it onto the bed cover. The pain stopped, but when Tsuna looked at his hand, he could see a red burn-like mark around the finger where the ring had been. Tsuna looked up at Reborn, lost and terribly confused.

"Tsuna, the reason why the ring rejected you, and you are unable to ignite a dying will, is because the dying will flame within you is not yours. It's Xanxus's." Reborn began. Tsuna looked at Xanxus in confusion and for confirmation with that Reborn was telling him. Xanxus however remained emotionless.

Reborn held up his hand for silence before Tsuna could start asking questions. "Let me fully explain."

"After you died, Xanxus preformed an highly experimental and completely untested technique. He essentially injected his dying will flame into your body, which resulted in you being brought back to life, completely healthy. Hence the reason for your healed wound."

Reborn paused for a moment, letting all this sink in. Before Tsuna could bombard him with questions, or starting having another panic attack, Reborn continued.

"However, even though you were brought back to life, your dying will did not return. It left you when you died. You are only alive because of the continuous flames being supplied to you from Xanxus." Reborn nodded to Xanxus, who held up his hand, showing the ring on his finger with the flame alit.

"That reaction earlier was from a sudden increase in the flame's level. Your energy level is completely dependent on Xanxus's flames. The less amount of flames within you, the more tired you get, and vice-versa, the more flames the more your body reacts."

"In short, you are similar to a box weapon. Without the box, of course." Reborn concluded.

He watched his student carefully, but was unsurprised to find that Tsuna had all but withdrawn into himself. It was a terrible amount of shocking information to receive, and Reborn could only feel remorse for when his student would learn the full truth of what exactly has happened to him.

Tsuna slowly looked down at his hand, at the burn mark around his finger. Too many questions, too many realizations were swarming around in his mind, he could barely decide where to begin. He had died, and possibly saw a brief glimpse of the after-life. But he was brought back to life by _Xanxus_ of all people. The dying will that now flowed through his body was not his own, but in fact Xanxus's. He could no longer use his own ring. He could no longer fight. He was completely useless, again.

Tsuna felt like he was going to be sick.

A growl startled Tsuna out of his chaotic thoughts, and he looked up to see Xanxus irritably walking towards the door. Before he opened it, he turned briefly and looked Tsuna straight in the eyes. "When you've got your head clear and stop whining, come find me. There's still more." And with that, he left, slamming the door as he went.

The door slamming shook Tsuna, and he suddenly felt on edge. His head was beginning to throb again, and he could feel an oncoming panic attack. Reborn, sensing his student needed some time alone to adjust to the news, jumped off of the chair and also started walking towards the door.

"I'll leave you to rest. Try to get some more sleep, and don't dwell too deeply on what has already occurred. Just accept it, and think about what you want to do next. I'll make sure no one disturbs you." Reborn calmly tells Tsuna, who doesn't reply. Bowing his head so his fedora cast a dark shadow over his eyes, Reborn flicked the light off and quietly left.

Tsuna barely even noticed he was now alone, sitting in the darkness of his room. The sun had now fully set, and only the moon's light cast long shadows in the room. Tsuna stared down at his lap, his mind suddenly blank. He felt disconnected and emotionless. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he recalled someone saying this was just a stage. Withdrawal, or maybe denial. Tsuna didn't care.

He knew he should be grateful, that he was still alive, and able to see his friends and family again. But, the consequences of being brought back to life stabbed at Tsuna's heart like a knife. Without his flames, his power, he couldn't protect anyone. He would go back to being 'No-Good Tsuna', and would only be able to watch from the side-lines as his family fought in terrible battles. He would only be able to live a half-life, completely dependent on Xanxus's flames.

Tsuna no longer knew what his future was, and that scared him, like nothing he had every felt before.

The room remained deathly silent, and the moon's cold light wrapped over Tsuna's tiny form like a blanket. Wet tears dropped onto Tsuna's open palms, as he allowed himself to completely break down, and cry.

* * *

(1) Lucertola - Italian for Lizard.

------

Oh man, that was far more depressing then I had originally intended. It was terribly difficult to write, with Tsuna riding an emotional rollercoaster the whole time.

I still feel kinda 'meh' for this chapter, but I've got a lot more planned out for upcoming chapters, and I'm feeling very confident about the plot.

Next chapter we learn fully about the consequences of Tsuna being brought back to life (yes, there's more), and Xanxus's reasoning behind it. So yeah, pretty much more angst.

I'd write more, but I'm tired. I've got to stop working on these things so late at night, and especially when I have an early class the next morning…bleh.

As usual, Reviews are my main source of creative inspiration (which has slowly been coming back). Next chapter I'll do some review responses, because I feel bad for not doing any shout-outs for all the amazing people who've reviewed thus far. But I LOVE YOU ALL!

*dances away*

-Kou Tora


	4. Death Sentence

**Chapter 4 - Death Sentence  
**

He could not hide forever, Tsuna decided. After giving himself time to have a thorough and complete mental breakdown, he began the slow and painful process of collecting himself again. The events that took place just several hours earlier (which now felt like a lifetime ago), left him hollow and numb on the inside. His mind simply was unable to connect two and two together, accepting the idea that: _yes_ - he had died, _yes _- he had possibly seen the afterlife (or a very _very_ messed up dream), _yes_ - he had been brought back to life, but with severe consequences. He had been stripped of all the abilities he'd painstakingly gained over the years, and was essentially crippled. A weak, useless person.

Resigned to not lie about in bed, Tsuna headed towards the bathroom, desperately in need of a hot shower. He was still sweaty and grimy from the earlier battle, and to his numb fascination, covered in bits of dried flecks of his own blood. Stripping out of his clothes and stepping under the scalding hot water, Tsuna relished the feeling of the burning water on his skin. It was a brief comfort against the chill that had settled over him earlier.

The deadly scar that now marked the center of his chest stung under the water, reminding Tsuna that it was there. He touched it lightly, feeling raised skin and the ugly form. It had healed completely, to Tsuna's amazement, but crudely. The skin was pale, and oddly marbled in colors, with heavy pink around the edges. His chest hurt in general, like the feeling that something had slammed into him, and he could faintly see the beginnings of a bruise forming around the scar. Looking closely at it, he could've sworn it was in the form of a hand.

The memory of being shot unwillingly flashed before his eyes. He hadn't really felt the bullet, but the brief agonizing pain that followed. Seeing his own blood pool out of the wound, for the brief moment he had been conscious, was more horrifying. A thought suddenly struck him. The bullet had passed _through_ him. Hesitantly, he reached behind, feeling along his back. He grimaced when he felt similar scar tissue, just between his shoulder blades.

Unable to look at it anymore, Tsuna quickly grabbed the soap and began to wash himself, finishing up his shower. Toweling himself off and dressing in loose casual clothing, he took note of the time. It was well past midnight. He didn't even bother to think of trying to sleep now. His mind was too wound up, and he felt restless. His room suddenly felt stuffy and small.

Anyone who chose to stay at the Vongola mansion would most likely be asleep now. He decided this would be the best opportunity to seek out Xanxus, as Tsuna didn't quite feel up to confronting anyone else yet. Xanxus had mentioned that there was _more_ to discuss, but Tsuna couldn't quite fathom how there could be more in addition to everything else that had happened.

He cast a wary glace at the Vongola ring, left on his bedside table. The burn around his finger was still fresh in his mind, and he felt hesitant to put it back on. However he was far too accustomed and protective of it to just leave it in his room (after all, it had been the sole reason for so many battles), so he ultimately decided to string it through a small chain necklace and wear it around his neck.

Peeking out of the door, he quickly looked down the hallway, relieved to find it empty. Quietly slipping from his room, he made his way around the manor, in search of where Xanxus might be. Tsuna knew the room Xanxus tended to use was on the opposite side of the Vongola mansion, but he rarely ever used it, for his distaste for the 10th generation was still fresh. The Varia had their own base of operations elsewhere, and Tsuna desperately hoped that wasn't where Xanxus had retreated too.

The silence was soon shattered however, but a loud and unmistakable cry of joy.

"JUUDAIME!!!"

Before Tsuna could even utter a shriek, he found himself engulfed in a vice-like bear hug from behind, and practically lifted off the floor. "You're alright Juudaime!" Gokudera cheered, before another voice called behind him.

"Hahaha! Easy Gokudera! Tsuna could still be hurting." Yamamoto called from behind them. That got the Storm Guardian's attention, and he all but dropped Tsuna in a rush, sputtering slurred apologies.

Tsuna straightened himself out and gave a relieved smile to his friends. "I'm ok, Gokudera." He tried to ease his overprotective guardian's worries., when Gokudera refused to fully let him go, and clung to Tsuna's shoulders desperately.

"Are you sure? I've been so worried. You wouldn't wake up, and there was so much blood, and that bastard did something, and -" Gokudera rambled on, shaking Tsuna's shoulders, looking ready to flat out cry. Tsuna noticed Gokudera's eyes were red and bloodshot, and there was a distinct stench about his breath. A glance at Yamamoto, who was giving a hand motion for drinking, confirmed his suspicions that Gokudera had indeed been drowning himself in alcohol.

"It's good to see you're ok, Tsuna. Like Gokudera here said, we've been worried. Reborn told us a little while ago that you had woken up, but we weren't expecting to see you up and about till morning." Yamamoto smiled easily, and pulled a stuttering and slightly tipsy Gokudera back by the collar of his shirt, allowing Tsuna some breathing room. "You are ok, right?" He asked, hesitantly.

"Thanks, you guys. I'm…ok." Tsuna started. He knew he _wasn't_ ok, but he didn't want to worry them at the moment. "It's…complicated, but I'd rather tell everyone all together about what happened. There are still some things I need to look into. But I'll tell you tomorrow, I promise." Tsuna gave them a reassuring smile, but it felt painful.

Yamamoto seemed to accept this, and nodded in agreement. "Ryohei should be arriving tomorrow, and possibly Hibari too. I doubt Gokudera here would remember much tomorrow morning if you told him anything now, anyway." Yamamoto chuckled, nudging the depressed and drunk half-Italian, who stumbled a little on his feet. There wasn't any need to mention Chrome or Mukuro, because no one truly ever knew where they were. The thought of his Mist Guardian made Tsuna silently wonder what _exactly_ Mukuro had been up to.

Tsuna nodded, glad to hear of Ryohei and Hibari, though slightly embarrassed to know they were returning just for him. "Well, I need to go find Xanxus now-"

'Fucking bastard! The whole lot of 'em! Did something to the 10th and doesn't have the balls to tell ME, the right hand-man what! Won't even show his face to me, the slime!" Gokudera cut Tsuna off at hearing Xanxus's name. "That guy…needs to get his assed kicked, again! Juudaime-" Gokudera paused, and poked Tsuna in the chest, causing Tsuna to wince harshly when he hit the scar dead-center. Gokudera continued on his drunken ramble, far too inebriated to notice. "Juudaime, don't listen to any shit that guy says. Just, bury them, the whole lot of scum, and set 'em straight. They're too cocky, doing whatever ---"

"Maa maa, Gokudera. That's enough for tonight. Let's get you to bed, and give Tsuna some peace, ne? I'm sure he's tired." Yamamoto, Tsuna's savior for the night, apparently had enough of Gokudera's ramblings as well. He half led, half dragged Gokudera down the hall, giving Tsuna a wink and a wave, while Gokudera continued on inventing new curses for the Varia, and half mumbling apologies to Tsuna.

Once they were out of sight, Tsuna let out a heavy sigh and dropped the fake smile he'd desperately been trying to hold for the sake of his friends. If was good to see then, and was relieved they were ok (despite Gokudera drowning himself in his misery for failing), but he knew answering their questions was going to be hard. He already made up his mind that he was going to tell them as much as possible about what happened to him. They deserved that much.

Continuing on his trek across the vast Vongola manor, just as he entered the Eastern Wing, where Xanxus usually stayed, he spotted Squalo guarding a doorway.

"VOI, looks like the boy IS still alive." Squalo sneered, his attitude no different then his normal greetings. "Boss said you'd be coming around tonight. He's pissed you've kept him waiting this long. Hell _I'm _pissed you took so long, simply because I've had to stand out here this entire time and beat away your stupid friends who keep pestering us." Squalo snarled, waving his sword around menacingly.

Tsuna never really had much interaction with the Varia guardians. Usually they had more fun picking fights with Tsuna's Guardians, and never really paid Tsuna any attention at all. Not that Tsuna minded. "I'm here now, aren't I? Is Xanxus in there?" Tsuna asked, not really in the mood to deal with taunts, but played nice either way.

Squalo gave Tsuna a glare, then turned and knocked on the door. Without waiting for a response, he stuck his head in the room. "Boss, the brat is here."

Tsuna heard a muffled reply, then startled at the sound of glass shattering against the door, with Squalo ducking his head back out just in time. "He'll see you now." was all Squalo said.

Steeling himself, Tsuna bravely walked into the room, feeling much like he was walking into a lion's den.

Xanxus sat at the desk situated in the back of the room, next to the windows. A single lamp on the desk was the only lighting, and when he glanced up to look at Tsuna, his eyes glowed. Again, Tsuna was reminded of a lion.

Sucking in a breath, Tsuna walked up to the desk, and settled himself in the chair that was placed in front of it. Any courage he may have had outside quickly faded.

Within the dim lighting, he could make out the faint light of the flame emitting from the ring on Xanxus finger. It was small and flickered lightly. Tsuna found it oddly surreal to know, that his entire life was connected to that tiny flame, like holding onto a thin thread. Xanxus caught Tsuna's line of sight, and smirked.

"Kind of terrifying isn't it? To know that your whole life is dependent on this tiny little flame." Xanxus practically purred, smug satisfaction written all over his face. A painful barb twisted somewhere within Tsuna's chest, hearing Xanxus's words that he himself had been thinking.

"How?" Tsuna whispered, unable to raise his voice any higher without fear of it cracking. Xanxus just raised an eyebrow in question. "How did you do it? I've never…heard of a way to…."_ raise the dead. _He left the words unsaid, unable to fully put himself within that category. The Raised Dead.

Xanxus just gave an unconcerned shrug. "I just simply read the history, did the research." And with that, he tossed Tsuna a worn leather-bound notebook, stuffed full of various papers. Tsuna caught it, giving Xanxus a quizzical look. "My notes. Help yourself." And with that, Xanxus stood to leave.

Tsuna gave a wide-eyed look at Xanxus as he began to leave, then back down to the notebook. A sharp ripple of panic swelled within him. He was leaving. That bastard was just going to leave, and let Tsuna wallow through this mess, alone to figure out a way to fix it. And Xanxus wasn't going to do _anything_. That panic suddenly turned into anger.

"No." He spoke, just above a whisper. Xanxus didn't turn. "_No." _Tsuna spoke louder, this time with anger and conviction. Xanxus paused, but didn't turn. "No, dammit, NO!" Tsuna all but yelled now, and stood. He turned and threw the notebook at Xanxus's back. "You are not going to just leave and make me shift through this mess by myself. You did this to me, so _god-damnit _you're going to take responsibility and explain it to me properly!" Tsuna panted. He was tired, angry, and about ready to start crying because the entire world around him was falling apart and he just couldn't _take it _any more.

Xanxus stood there. He was no longer amused, but irritated. Though he had to admit, Tsuna's outburst was surprising. Some people really do change when pushed into a corner. Letting out an angry "_Fine.",_ he stomped back to his desk where he sat himself down. Pulling out a fresh glass and a liquor bottle from a drawer, he poured himself a drink, taking a long swig. Tsuna sat himself back down in the chair, feeling his energy drained from his outburst.

"You and that baby are getting too much alike." Xanxus grumbled low, taking another long drink. Tsuna gave him a quizzical look. "He gave me the same rant about fucking responsibility, except he didn't use a book to hit me." He idly rubbed his jaw, where Tsuna just now noticed a bruise starting to bloom. Tsuna would have to ask Reborn about the confrontation later.

"I won't go through the whole history now, simply because I don't have nearly enough liquor for this kind of shit. So I'll give you the short and sweet version." Xanxus began, leaning back into his chair and putting his feet up on the desk. Tsuna sat in his own chair, stiff with anticipation and dread.

"I discovered certain…documents…in the Vongola archives that vaguely detailed an incident, back during the Vongola Quinto's reign." Xanxus started. "It wrote that a close relation to the Vongola Quinto had been killed. Either by accident or through desperation, the Quinto was able to revive him, in a much similar manner that I did with you." He held up the ring on his finger, watching the small flame flicker and dance. "I found accounts of two more similar incidents, where someone of matching flame types managed to revive a recently killed family member. One was another sky-type, and the third was Sun."

"That's how you discovered how to…revive me?" Tsuna breathed, taken by surprise. He'd never heard of any such events. Something as significant as raising the dead was pretty substantial. He wondered why Reborn never mentioned it, or if he even knew of it. Xanxus nodded, suddenly growing solemn. "And….what happened to them?" Tsuna pressed. If this has happened in the past, then there must be hope for Tsuna to recover his Dying will. He couldn't image living like this, feeding and living off of Xanxus's dying will, forever.

Xanxus didn't answer right away, instead watching Tsuna through half-lidded glowing eyes, idly swirling the drink and ice in his glass. He took another long swig, and swallowed harshly. "A week later, they died." He said.

Tsuna at first didn't think he heard him correctly. "A…a week?" He gasped, eyes wide with panic.

Xanxus tore his gaze away from Tsuna, unable to watch as he gave him his death sentence. "The human body isn't built like a box weapon. It isn't made to withstand and hold foreign dying will flames. Roughly a week after being revived, their bodies began to degrade as the foreign dying will that was originally keeping them alive, slowly killed them from the inside."

Tsuna stared, half unseeing, completely still and frozen as he listened to Xanxus's words.

"You have one week. Use it how you like, either by wasting your time in trying to recover your dying will, or use it to say your goodbyes and finish up any unfinished business. Either way, that's all the time you have left." And with the sentence given, execution day set, Xanxus dropped the empty glass on his desk like a judge slamming his mallet.

The clattering noise startled Tsuna out his frozen trance like lightning had struck. Without even looking at Xanxus, he stood, and slowly left the room, clicking the door shut. Xanxus sat at his desk, listening to the pounding of footsteps running down the hallway, the noise receding with each step.

Looking down at his now empty glass, Xanxus tried to rid himself of the image of Tsuna's completely dead eyes, void of any emotion or thought. He let out a vicious growl of frustration, and hurled the glass at the door, shattering it in a million pieces.

* * *

Oh man, as if last chapter wasn't bad enough. Torturing Tsuna is just a little _too_ easy. I shouldn't be having this much fun with it. XD

*shovels on the angst in bucket loads.*

Writing this has become quite a bit easier (especially Tsuna's emotions and reactions), now that I have a path to follow. Specifically the Seven Phases of Grief (though I'm modifying it a little bit).

Next chapter we'll see the guardians, Mukuro included. Some insight to the events surrounding Tsuna's death, and maybe some of Xanxus's thoughts.

And I just wanted to take a moment to thank each and everyone of you who review. I write for a few different fandoms, but I must say that KHR fans write the BEST encouraging reviews, because you're all so damn happy about it. My other stories for other fandoms usually just get "I like, plz update." But with KHR I get spazzes and endless flailing, feedback and plot speculation. (Which some of you are dangerously close to predicting my plots...won't tell who though.... ;3 )

So I just wanted to say THANK YOU, and I love you all. :3

Till next time.

-Kou Tora


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